Carrot care secrets

Carrot Care: When to plant seeds.

Carrots are a very healthy product. It is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals that are so essential for the human body. There are several secrets to getting a good harvest of carrots, which include proper carrot care.

Growing carrots begins with sowing.

As soon as the ground thaws and can be loosened, you can start planting seeds in the ground. Carrots tolerate frost well.

Since the soil is very wet in early spring, the seeds hatch quickly. Sometimes seeds are sown before winter so that they hatch early in the spring. The result is an early harvest and the carrots are ready for use in the summer.

If carrots are needed for winter storage, then the seeds are sown at a later date - from mid-May. In this case, to enrich the land with water, each groove is abundantly watered before sowing. It is desirable to use 10 liters of water per running meter.

How to prepare seeds for sowing.

Before sowing, the seeds must be soaked in hot water (+50 - +60 degrees) for 20 minutes. This is done in order to remove the essential oil from the seed coat. It interferes with the friendly germination of seeds. Then dry the seeds until they flow. You cannot store such seeds.

Small seeds are difficult to sow evenly. To facilitate sowing, the seeds are mixed with sand in a ratio of 1: 2. Sprinkle the furrows with a thin layer of sand with seeds.

Then the grooves are covered with a layer of soil up to 1 cm. Watering from above is not necessary: ​​there is enough moisture in the soil, otherwise a crust may form, through which it will be difficult for the seeds to break through.

Preparing the soil for sowing seeds.

The place for planting carrots is chosen where humus or manure was introduced one or two years ago.

The crop reacts negatively to fresh organic matter, producing poor quality carrots. In order for the carrots to become large and homogeneous, the soil should be loosened to a depth of at least 25 cm and a complex mineral fertilizer should be applied in accordance with the instructions for the preparation.

Care for carrots after sprouting

After seed germination, carrot care consists of watering and thinning.

When 3-4 true leaves appear on the seedlings, thinning must be done, leaving 2-3 cm between the remaining bushes.

The second thinning is carried out when the carrot is one centimeter thick. When thinning, it is necessary to leave 5-6 cm between the bushes.

Thinning should be carried out after rain or watering, so as not to damage the bushes.

Protecting carrots from pests.

You cannot leave carrot tops in the beds: the aroma of foliage and root crops will attract many pests (carrot flies, slugs, etc.)

You can save yourself from carrot pests by planting aromatic herbs such as calendula and mint.